Learn it. I'd give an arm if I could get onto a team with 3D math (which I don't know terribly well but would love to learn and use). In my (obviously personal :) ) opinion, you're incredibly lucky for that work (although game companies don't pay well from what I read).

Do you have anyone who can serve as a mentor for the math 3D topics

@xxbbcc believe me, that's not as easy as it seems. Despite having years of programming experience, and being good at math "overall", I also get completely lost if I have to deal with rotations, quaternions, and any sort of 3D stuff. Meanwhile I've learned tons of things, but those… always eluded me, doesn't matter how much I might have needed them.

Ok you told them you aren't good at math: did they remember that? Did you remind them? They might have willingly given you this task despite this, but maybe it's just because they forgot!

I work in games development too, and 99% of the time, technical questions like matrix math and stuff can be answered by looking them up on places like stackexchange :P

Lots of people say they are not good at Maths. The world isn't divided into those who are good at Maths and those who arn't, it is divided into those who gave up and those who didn't. It is like most skills, you practice, you get better, it becomes easier.

Obviously, you've mastered significant and difficult topics. You can do the same thing with math skills. The problem is it will take a lot of time and attention and it is much harder if you're doing it yourself (or even with an informal mentor) outside of the structure of a course with serious homework and exams. There's no shortcuts with that stuff.

if that task is not what you want to, if you don't want to learn the skills to do that, then you should start looking for something else, or ask your boss to be moved to a different task. There is no point in doing a job you don't like if you can find one that is better suited.

Be honest that you can't do it. If you intend to learn, ask them to provide training or hire a consultant who will guide you into it and ask for a longer term hiring strategy... meanwhile, you may have to "suck it up" while your company figure out some solutions.

I just want to bring up that if you are working in the gaming industry learning linear algebra/"3D Math" is arguably very important. It is not only used in graphics programming, but also things like scene management, collision, even AI. Vectors, matrices and quaternions are what make all this possible.

Since no one else is suggesting it yet, I'd like to suggest taking a trigonometry and/or linear algebra class, even if it's one of the free online ones. Contrary to popular belief, it's actually completely logical once you've had the concepts explained to you. Also, don't let the names scare you. Remember that "trigonometry" literally just means "triangle measure."

@Lohoris I didn't mean to imply that it's easy but you have dedicated time to learn it and it happens to be important for your job. If you don't enjoy math on that level, you should consider getting a different software job. There are challenges in business software, too, but they're different and they less frequently require math.

@xxbbcc not in my case, for instance. I just do the rest, and if I need to do such a thing, usually I can off-load it to someone else. You can't know everything, and your time is finite. Why don't you learn also 3D modeling, texturing, rigging, marketing, music, sound effect creation, and do everything yourself? You just can't.

@Lohoris I know :) I used to do 3D modeling and even some sound work before I had a kid. I know one can't know everything. At the same time, you asked the question how to deal with your chosen job and math is an integral part of graphics programming. You either need to learn it or need a new position (within your group, if possible or at a different company).

@xxbbcc I didn't realise you didn't realise I'm not the OP.

@Lohoris Oh, I'm sorry - you're right, I didn't realise that. :) I can't edit the comment anymore, so it'll stay as is for all eternity.

There are two kinds of problems: where you can't learn 3D math and where you just hate doing it even if you can. If it's the latter (been there myself) - make sure to explore all of the options to be reassigned. The change will feel liberating

Could you add whether you are interested in trying to learn to do the 3d path, or if you would prefer not to. The best answer if you want to plow into it with the "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'll dang well try!" is very different than the best answer if you want to say "I actually don't derive enjoyment from that kind of work."

@JamesRyan A while back I ran into an interesting discussion on the web on this--which divided into two camps: Those who said there was no limit and those who had found a personal point where math went from easy and intuitive to insanely hard and only by rote and that those who said there was no limit had limits high enough they hadn't found them.

@LorenPechtel I personally know that isn't true, I was naturally bad until I slogged at it for a while and then it got easier. There maybe a ceiling but a lot of things like matrix's are just a new concept to get your head around.

@marsh, I don't mean to sound harsh, but you want a career in game development and you hate maths and physics? Isn't that a bit like wanting a career in pastry while hating sugar? :)